Geotechnical Engineer

Kinross is a Canadian-based gold mining company with mines, projects and offices in the United States, Brazil, Chile, Russia, Ghana and Mauritania, employing approximately 9,300 people worldwide. Our core purpose is to lead the world in generating value through responsible mining.

Kinross is represented in Russia by Kupol and Dvoinoye operations, and offices in Anadyr, Bilibino, Pevek, Magadan and Moscow.

Anadyr and Bilibino offices provide administrative support to Kinross' operations in the northern region of Chukotka through interfacing with local and regional authorities, regulators and local communities. The Bilibino office also provides logistics support to the two Russia-based gold mines. Kupol and Dvoinoye high-grade gold and silver deposits are underground mines connected by a 100-kilometer all-season road built over the challenging tundra terrain. A critical role in logistics support for both Kupol and Dvoinoye is played by the company office in the port town of Pevek; this office is also responsible for interaction with port and customs authorities, and organizing delivery of received commodities to Kinross' Kupol and Dvoinoye operations over the 400-kilometer (250-mile) winter road.

Magadan regional office team supports Kinross' operations and projects in Russia through interaction with local, regional and state agencies and authorities, and cooperation with local communities. Moscow Representative Office is involved in active cooperation with the Russian governmental agencies, media, investment and industry associations by providing information on Kinross' activities in Russia and assisting Russian authorities in creating a favorable foreign investment climate in the mining sector.

All offices ensure seamless activity of the company's mine sites and maintain the social license to operate within the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug.

Job Description

Oversee engineering activities and to ensure service and / or operating standards are met (internally and / or externally). Design and develop processes, practices and methodologies in engineering. Lead the execution of the strategy and ensure alignment with the organization's long-term strategy. Initiate and undertake projects to optimize performance within engineering and to ensure adherence to industry regulations and organizational standards.

Job Responsibilities

Lead ground support long term and short term planning functions:

• Build ground support schedule to align with operational capabilities
• Ensure ground support plan aligns with mine plan
• Support operational geotechnical initiatives:
• Regular underground visits
• Implementation and monitoring of various types of instrumentation (smart cables, extensometers, etc..)

Develop and lead ground support design process throughout the region including:

• Construction of geotechnical domains and providing input as required on geotechnical drilling programs
• Stress and dilution modeling
• Support the optimization of existing mine designs to reduce development burden and dilution
• Support trade off study of multiple mining methods and dilution and ore loss estimates
• Development of ground support standards - updating existing standards as conditions dictate as well as developing new standards for new projects / mining areas

Define design parameters for narrow vein mining options within the region to ensure:

• Compliance with regulatory requirements and ability to permit designs
• Safety of mining operations
• Realistic dilution and ore loss assumptions
• Development of ground support standards
• Coordination with operations team
• Conformance with equipment specifications

• Clean up and optimize existing geotechnical planning processes, and systems updated and improve the ground control management plan
• Mentor a large engineering team around geotechnical challenges and solutions
• Train site engineers on effective usage of geotechnical modeling software
• Provide support for trade-off studies to guide strategic decision-making process as needed
  

Education and Experience

Education

• University degree in mining engineering/ geotechnical engineering
• Formal professional engineering designation a benefit

Experience

• 5+ years of UG mining and geotechnical experience open pit experience considered an asset
• Experience in multiple UG mining methods including both narrow vein and long hole open stoping

Skills

• Knowledgeable user of numerical modeling tools (Map 3D, Phase2, RocScience suite, etc…)
• Knowledgeable user of mining software Datamine, Micromine, Autocad software
• Ability to support geotechnical and ground support planning
• Ability to mentor operations and deal with operational challenges underground
• Ability to lead a small team of direct reports and mentor or support a large engineering and technical services team